Between the port of the city and the historic center is a stone-paved neighborhood, full of colourful neoclassical preserved buildings. These were once commercial shops during the day and spots of vulgar love and nightclubs at night, where “Rebetes” (folk musicians from the 1920s-50s) sang about the problems of their daily lives. The name of the neighborhood “Ladadika” comes from the shops that were there in the past and used to sell olive oil.

Poems and songs were written for this neighborhood, such as the poem by Manolis Anagonstakis who writes for the barefoot children of the Egypt street in Ladadika, who can no longer play there because the cars filled the street. “Because the times changed and people no longer laugh, do not whisper secrets,do not trust, whoever survived of course, because of the severe illnesses, floods, earthquakes and armed soldiers”.

The history of this neighborhood is a great part of the history of the city. I like to visit this place during a quiet morning for a coffee with friends and on an afternoon so that I can taste some traditional food in the restaurants around there. The evening lighting is done with lanterns so as to refer to that old magical time. On rainy evenings, I love wandering around the neighborhood looking for the barefoot children, the Rebetes and the lovers.